Megaphone



No. 753,417. PATENTED MAR. 1, 1904. F. E. MITCHELL.

MEGAPHONE.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 31, 1903.

NO MODEL UNITED STATES Patented March 1, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK E. MITCHELL, OF OSHKOSH, VVISOONSIN.

MEGAPHONE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 753,417, dated Application filed July 31, 1903.

-*of which the following is a description, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, which are a part of this specification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in megaphones, and has for its object to produce a megaphone that will be collapsible and of such a simple structure as to be suitable for advertising or campaign purposes.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this description, Figure 1 is a plan view of the megaphone folded and inclosed in a suitable casing or covering. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the megaphone when distended for use. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the device as shown in Fig. 2 looking toward the larger end thereof, and Fig. 4: is a detail plan view of the hub of the device.

In the drawings, 5 represents an annular mouthpiece provided with a flaring bore 6 and having pivoted thereto a number of ribs 7, which have their ends inserted in suitable slots at the edge of the mouthpiece, where they are confined by a wire 8 passing around the ribs and mouthpiece and embedded in grooves therein. Near their lower ends the ribs 7 have pivoted thereto stays 9, which are slightly bent outward near their pivots and are all pivotally connected to a center piece or hub 10 by having their ends inserted in suitable slots 11 about the periphery of said hub, where they are joined by a wire passing through perforations in their ends and through an annular groove in the hub connecting said slots. Acovering 12, of paper, cloth, or other suitable material, is mounted on the ribs 7 and is secured thereto, preferably by gluing, with its edge turned over the ends of said ribs. The covering is of such a shape andsize that when the hub 10 is raised to its highest position, as shown in Fig. 2, the ribs will be distended to give saidcovering a conical shape, and. said hub will have just passed the posi- March 1, 1904.

Serial No. 167,674. (No model.)

tion of greatest resistance when the bends of the stays 9 bring their shoulders 13 into contact with the ribs and the inner end of said stays come into engagement with the end wall of the slots 11 to prevent any further inward movement of said hub 10, so that the conical formation will be preserved and the device will-be operative as a megaphone.

When it is desired to collapse the mega phone, it is only necessary to draw outwardly upon the hub 10, bringing said hub beyond the point of greatest resistance and as far away from the mouthpiece as is possible, when the ribs 9 swing into the slots 11 and the ends of the ribs 7 pass into an annular rabbet 14 near the end of said hub. The covering 10 between the ribs may now be rolled upon the framework and the entire device slipped within a suitable tubular casing 15, when the mouthpiece constitutes ahandle and the outer reduced end of hub 10 forms a bearing-point for the device to be used as a cane or the like.

It is obvious that the entire invention may be easily constructed of cheap material which will be suitable for the objects mentioned and that the change from a megaphone to a cane, or vice versa, may be quickly made and that in either form the device is well adapted to accomplish its purpose.

That I claim as my invention is- 1. Amegaphone comprising afoldable cover and pivoted means for distending said cover or permitting it to collapse.

2. A megaphone comprising aiiexible cover and a pivoted ribbed distending means therefor capable of being collapsed.

3. A megaphone comprising a flexible-cover, a ribbed frame on which the cover is mounted and means for holding the frame distended, said means being capable of folding to collapse the megaphone.

i. A megaphone comprising a mouthpiece, ribs pivoted thereto, stays pivoted to the ribs, a hub to which the stays are also pivoted, and a cover mounted on the ribs.

5. A megaphone comprising a mouthpiece, ribs pivoted thereto, stays pivoted to the ribs, a hub having slots in which the stays are also pivoted, said stays being adapted to bear on the Walls of the slots when the ribs are distended, and a covering mounted on the ribs.

6. A megaphone comprisingamouthpiece, ribs pivoted thereto, stays pivoted to the ribs, a hub to which the stays are also pivoted, shoulders on the stays to engage the ribs when said ribs are distended, and a covering mounted on the ribs.

7 A megaphone comprising amouthpiece, ribs pivoted thereto, stays pivoted to the ribs, a hub having slots in which the stays are also pivoted, said stays being adapted to bear on the walls of the slots when the ribs are distended, shoulders on the stays to engage the ribs when said ribs are distended, and a covering mounted on the ribs.

. 8. A megaphone comprising a mouthpiece,

ribs pivoted thereto, stays pivoted to the ribs,

a hub to which the stays are pivoted, said hub having an annular rabbet in which the ends of the ribs are seated when the megaphone is collapsed, and a covering mounted on the ribs.

9. A megaphone comprising a mouthpiece, ribs pivoted thereto, stays pivoted to the ribs, a hub to which the stays are pivoted, said hub having at one end an annular rabbet in which the ends of the ribs are seated when the megaphone is collapsed and having its other end reduced to form a projecting bearing-point for the device when collapsed, a covering mounted on the ribs, and a casing to contain the device when collapsed, the entire device when so arranged constituting a cane.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK E. MITCHELL.

Witnesses:

S. MURPHY, J. E. BITTER. 

